Faucet



Patented Mar. 3, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,528,678 PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL M. MCLAUGI' ILIN, 0F LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

Application filed January 6, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL M.MOLAUGH- LIN, residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Faucets, of which I declare the fol lowing to be a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to faucets and has for its object to provide an improved device of this character which is adapted to be pressure-closed.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved faucet having few parts which are simple in construction and capable of being manufactured at a relatively low cost.

Another object of the invention is to provide a faucet having improved operating means requiring but little effort to manipulate, and which is adapted to permit the valve to close automatically when released.

A further object of the invention is-to construct a faucet having a valve operated by a member mounted for universal movement and capable of being set at any desired angle to maintain the valve in open position.

Another object of the inventlon is to provide a faucet having a valve with operating mechanism therefor, including a ball, adapted when moved out of normal position to prevent the closing of the valve.

With these and other objects'inview, the invention comprises certain novel forms of construction and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully pointed out and claimed, it being understood that the device shown and described herein is susceptible of various modifications, embodiments and arrangements to suit special or varying conditions and I wish it to be understood that the terms which I haveused are merely descriptive and not limiting and that it is my intention to include any and all modifications which come within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. 7

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which'- Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a fancet constructed in accordance with the invention.-

Figure 2 is a section through the upper portion of the faucet showing the position Serial No. 435,338.

of the operating member when the valve is held in open position thereby;

Figure 3 is a sectional plan taken on line aa of Figure 1.

Like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

In carrying out the present invention I provide a faucet having a casing 10, at the bottom of which is a valve chamber 11 formed preferably in a removable cap or head 12, the valve chamber being in constant communication with an inlet passageway 18 through a by-pass 14:, said inlet passageway being adapted for communication with a water or other fluid pressure system not shown), preferably by means of the threaded extension 15 of the casing. The casing is provided with a central bore into which is inserted a sleeve or tubular member 16 having an opening 17 intermediate its length through the wall thereof communicating with the outlet passageway 18 of; the spout 19. A valve stem 20 is mounted to reciprocate within the tubular member 16 and is provided at its lower end with a reduced portion 21 threaded into a valve, comprising an inverted cup-shaped member 22 in which is positioned a disc 23, preferably formed of fiber or other suitable material, adapted to normally seat upon the lower end of the tubular member 16 to close the same as shown in Figure 1. The valve is normally held closed by the pressure of the'fluid in the'system, the chamber 11in which. the valve is mounted being in constant communication therewith. A spring" 24 is provided to insure the closing of thevalve when released by the operator. The upper end of the valve stem 20 is adapted to project through a bushing 25 screwed into the annular portion 26 of the valve casing to compress the packing material 27 surrounding the valve stem, as shown in Figure 1, whereby a liquidtight joint is afforded to prevent the leaking of the fluid through the upper end of the tubular member 16 when the valve is open. A remov-e handle 31 normally aligned withthe valve stem as shown in Figure 1. The lower end of the operating member is cupped out or recessed to afford a cam-like surface as indicated at 32 to receive the ball centrally therein and by reason of this particular construction the tendency of the operating member is to remain in an upright position when the va ve is once closed. It will be understood that the cap 28 is screwed down just far enough to cause the ball to press against the bottom of the operating memher with sufiicient force to cause it to seat upon the annularsurfaceSS of the end wall of the cap but not tar enough to interfere with the proper closing of the valve.

Although I prefer to curve the ball contacting surface or the operating member in such a manner as to permit of universal movement oisaid member, it will be under stood that any suitable beveled or camsurface may be employed as a seat for the ball and that the'extent and inclination of such surface may be limited to any desired degree.

In the operation of the device to effect the opening of the valve it is only necessary to incline the handle 31 in any desired direction from the central'position indicated in Figure l to that shown in Figure 2, in which position it will remain, to hold the valve open as long as desired. hloving of the handle in this manner causes the valve stem 20 to be depressed, thereby unseating the valve and establishing communication between the inlet and outlet passageways of the casing. The valve may be released to permit it to be automatically closed by the spring connected therewith by applying a slight pressure to the handle in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the stem, which will cause it to snap back to normal position as shown in Figure 1. Itwill be understood that the handle is held in the" position shown in Figure 2 by reason of the fact that the ball in this position is oil center and the force which is transmitted through the ball to the operating member is applied to the latter at one side of the center thereof and consequently maintains it in the inclined position shown, the ball being limited in its outward movement upon the stem by the vertical wall ofthe cap or enclosure 28. The curved or concave recess 32 in the bottom of the operating member being deepest at the center of the latter will cause the ball to exert less pressure upon the valve closing spring when the parts are in normal position than when the i valve is open, and by reason of this particular construction it is very easy to move theoperating' member from the position shown in Figure 2 to a pointwhere it will be automatically snapped into upright position through the pressure exerted on the parts by the spring. It will be seen from this construction that "the rolling of the ball out wardly upon the end of the stem and the curved or inclined surface of the operating member will require more pressure upon the handle than will be required in the operation of releasing the same as the action of the spring serves to assist in the lastmentioned operation.

lVhile I have illustrated and described one embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that the device shown may be considerably modified withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invent-ion and I wish therefore not to be restricted or limited to the precise embodiment shown except in so far as the same is limited by the appended claims.

hat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In adevice of the class described a casing aclapted for connection with a fluid pressure system and having a passageway thert1imug11,-'a spring-pressed valve normally closing said passageway and adapted to be held closed by the pressure in the system, a ball associated with the valveand adapted for movement relative theretowhereby to unseat the valve, and a universally movable actuating member for the ball.

Ina device of the class described a casing'adaptedfor connection with a fluid pressure system and having a. passageway therethro'ugh, a spring-pressed valve normally closing said passageway, a detached ball associated with the valve and'mounted for displacement laterally of the valve to unseat the same, and actuating means for efieoting displacement of the ball.

In a device otthe class described a casing adaptedfor connection with a fluid pressure system and having a passageway therethrough, a spring-pressed valve normallyclosing said passageway, a stem for moving-said valve, a detached balldisposed upon the free end of said stem and a cam 'operatively associated with the ball for lat eral displacement of the same to effect movement of the stem.

4t. In a device of the class described a casing adapted for connection with a fluid pressure system and having a passageway therethrough, a valve normally closing said 1;)assageway and adapted to be held closed by the pressure in the system, a stem connected with the valve, a detached ball disposed upon the tree end of the stem, means adapted to displace the ball to effect movement of the stem, and means tending to constantly move the valveto closed position.

' 5. In a device of the class described a casing adapted for connection with a fluid pressure system and having a passageway there through, a spring-pressed valve normally closing said passageway, a stem for actuating the valve, a detached ball disposed upon the free end of the stem, and a member having a recess within which the ball is disposed, movement of said member serving to roll the ball upon the stem and to actuate the latter.

6. In a device of the class described a casing adapted for connection with a fluid pressure system and having a passageway therethrough, a valve normally closing said passageway and adapted to be held closed by the pressure in the system, a stem disposed within said passageway for actuating said valve, a detached ball disposed upon the free end of said stem, and means adapted to simultaneously roll the ball upon the stem and to move it bodily to effect the opening of the valve.

7. In a device of the class described a casing adapted for connection with a fluid pressure system and having a passageway therethrough, a valve normally closing said assageway and adapted to be held closed by the pressure in the system, a stem disposed within said passageway for actuating said valve, a ball disposed upon the free end of said stem and a member mounted for universal movement upon the casing and adapted to displace the ball to effect movement of the stem.

8. In a device of the class described a casing adapted for connection with a fluid pressure system and having a passageway therethrough, a valve normally closing said passageway and adapted to be held closed by the pressure in the system, a stem for moving the valve, a ball disposed upon the free end of the stem, and an actuating member for the hall having a cam surface upon which it is adapted to roll whereby movement of the stem is effected.

9. In a device of the class described a casing adapted for connection with a fluid pressure system and provided with a bore having an inlet passageway leading to one end thereof, and a lateral outlet passageway leading from the bore intermediate its ends, a spring-pressed valve normally closing the inlet end of said bore, a stem closing the opposite end of the bore and having a reduced portion within the bore connected with the Valve, a detached member adapted to roll upon the free end of the stem, and a universally movable member for rolling said detached member to effect movement of the stem within the bore.

10. In a device of the class described a casing adapted for connection with a fluid pres sure system and provided with a bore having an inlet passageway leading to one end thereof and a lateral outlet passageway leadin from the bore intermediate its ends, a va ve normally closing the inlet end of the bore and adapted to be held closed by the pressure in the system, a stem closing the opposite end of the bore and having a re duced portion within the bore connected with the valve, a detached ball disposed upon. the free end of the stem and means associated with the ball for bodily moving and rolling the same upon the stem to effect movement of the latter.

11. In a device of the class described a casing adapted for connection with a fluid pressure system and having a passageway therethrough, a spring-pressed valve normally closing said passageway, a stem for moving said valve, a ball disposed upon the free end of the stem, an operating member mounted for universal movement upon the ball adapted to roll the same upon the stem, and an adjustable retaining member for said operating member.

12. In a device of the class described a casing adapted for connection with a fluid pressure system and provided with a passageway therethrough, a spring-pressed valve normally closing said passageway, a stem connected with said valve, a ball disposed upon the free end of the stem, an operating member having a concave surface forming a seat for the ball and a retainer for said operating member permitting universal movement of the latter to roll the ball upon the stem to a point at which it will contact with the retainer, the ball being held in such position by the pressure of the stem thereon.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

DANIEL M. MGLAUGHLIN. 

